Tess McTiernan has provided the following:
Charles, born in 1892, was the second child of Margaret and James Docherty. His brother Daniel died in 1893, aged 2 years. His sister, Agnes, was born in 1894. His mother, Margaret (née Nimney), was a young widow when she married James in 1889. Her first marriage ended in 1888 with the death of her husband, Michael McEneaney and their daughter, MaryAlice, the previous year. Margaret then married a widower, Edward Rooke, in 1899.
According to 1901 census the family were living in Young's Buildings, Tantobie with 3 of Edward's sons from his previous marriage, Philip, James and Michael Rooke, and Charles, aged 8 years, his sister Agnes 6 years and new baby, Bridget Theresa, aged 10 months.
In 1911 , Charles, aged 19, was a colliery labourer (underground) living at Young's Building's, Tantobie, with his widowed mother, sister Margaret b.1902, and stepbrothers, Dennis and John Rooke.
On 24 October 1914, Charles enlisted in 24th Tyneside Irish, Northumberland Fusiliers. After initial training near home, he joined the 103rd Brigade, 34th Division at Ripon in June 1915 and moved to Salisbury Plain in late August 1915 for final training.
Charles arrived in France in January 1916. Having spent the night at rest camps the battalion marched to the railhead where they entrained to St. Omer. On arrival, the battalion was instructed to move to Bleneques where they detrained and marched to Esquerdes. Further training was undertaken: route marches, musketry and inspections .
At zero hour on 1 July 1916 the four battalions of the Tyneside Irish Brigade advanced from the trenches, down a mile long hillside, during the attack on La Boisselle. The 3000 strong brigade attacked across Mash Valley but was caught by German machine gun fire in no man's land, sustaining over 1900 casualties during the day. Charles suffered a severe gunshot wound of the lower extremeties and died at the 3rd Casualty Clearing Station in Puchevillers on 2 July 1916. He was 24 years old.
Remembered with Honour
Charles Docherty is remembered in Dipton on D46.06, in Tanfield on T35.04 and in our list of Tyneside Irish
